What is Artesnaut?
Imagine an auto-battler for people who actually have a job and can't stare at a screen for hours. Artesnaut strips away the graphics and gives you a hardcore, text-heavy medieval fantasy world focused on deep character sculpting and idle looting.
Gameplay
If you're looking for the high-stress drafting of TFT or Battlegrounds, stop right here. This isn't that. Artesnaut is a hardcore, text-based idle RPG where the 'battling' happens while you're doing literally anything else. Your core loop is all about the prep: you sculpt your characters using a mix of races, jobs, and epithets to tweak your stats, then you send them into the world. You don't control the fights; you just check back later to see if your party survived and what they looted from the over 1,000 available items.
It's a game for people who love seeing numbers go up but don't have three hours to stare at a screen. The depth is surprisingly heavy for something without graphics. You aren't just picking a class; you're building a specific machine to conquer dungeons. Since it's free-to-play, it's an easy entry point, and it avoids that gross pay-to-win slime you find in most mobile titles. The story is a huge draw, too, and gives you a real reason to grind through the chapters.
But you've gotta be okay with the rough edges. It's almost entirely text, so if you need flashy visuals, you'll be bored in five minutes. It's currently in Chapter 5, but the polish just isn't there. You'll run into bugs and performance hiccups that make it feel unfinished. It's less about tactical reflexes and more about the long-term strategy of your build. If you can get past the 'abysmal' presentation, there's a rewarding system underneath. I'd give it a 6/10.
Key Features
- Over 1,000 lootable items
- Builds via races, jobs, and epithets
- Fully auto combat and exploration
- Text-based hardcore idle RPG
What Players Say
The community is split. Some love the 'unique mix of creativity' in the combat and writing, but others can't even get the game to start. You'll find reports of the game closing itself immediately after server selection or total incompatibility with Linux. One player noted 'the tutorial and presentation is abysmal' and dealt with crashes and freezes on a new phone.
Video Review
Screenshots
Verdict
“After playing for an hour now, I've enjoyed both the writing and the combat system which combines a unique mix of creativity that blend well together. I've not experienced any issues running or play…”
“Game closes it self after chosing server and wont reopen again after. reinstalling does nothing.”
“Looks like a good game... Sadly unable to play it on linux (mint). None of the proton compatibility versions made any difference.”
Grab this if you love JRPGs and idle systems and don't mind a total lack of graphics. If you want a competitive, fast-paced experience or a polished UI, skip it until the bugs are ironed out.
Play for Free →* Price at time of publication (checked 13.07.2026). Prices may vary by region and are subject to change. This is an editorial review, not a commercial offer.